Ayyavu Swamikal
| Ayyavu Swamikal | |
|---|---|
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Siva Raja Yoga |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1814 Nakalapuram, of Tamil Nadu |
| Died | 20 July 1909 Trivandrum |
| Parents |
|
| Guru | Vaikunda Swamy |
| Disciple(s) | Spiritual masters and reformers disciples like Chattampi Swami, Narayana Guru Makkidi Labba, Peermuhammed, Pett Fernadaz, social reformers like Ayyankali, men of Letters like Kerala Varma Valia Koil Tampuran, A R Rajaraja Varma, Painters like Raja Ravi Varma, Musicians like Padmanabhan Vaidyan. |
| Literary works | Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga |
Thycaud Ayyavu Swamikal (1814 – 20 July, 1909) (also known as Sadananda Swami) was a spiritualist and a social reformer, the first to break customs related to caste in Kerala when caste restrictions and untouchability were at its extreme.
Ayyavu Swamikal was born in 1814 in Nakalapuram in Tamil Nadu. His original name was Subharayan. His parents were Mutthukumaran and Rugmini Ammal. His father and grandfather Sri Hrishikesan were scholars and experts in yoga and spiritual sciences.(Ayyaavu means Father)
At the age of twelve, Subharayan received spiritual initiation from two Tamil Saints, Sachidananda Maharaj and Sri Chitti Paradeshi who used to visit his father. They told his family that his life has a specific assignment, he is destined to serve humanity at another place and that when it is time they would come and take him to mould him to fulfil his duty. These avadutas are said to be connected to great siddhas from Tamil Nadu living in Himalayas who knew the science of immortality. When he was 16, the two siddhas took him with them to Palani where he learned advanced yoga. He travelled with them to Burma, Singapore, Penang and Africa. With them he met teachers of many religions and saints. Subbarayan mastered English during his stay and travel with them. He also acquired proficiency in English, Siddha medicine and alchemy during his wanderings with the siddhas.
At the age of nineteen he was sent back home with instructions to look after his parents and brethren. At home he continued worshiping Goddess and yogic practices, often entering the state of Samadhi. His biographers and disciples state that by this time he had acquired the Ashtasiddhies or divine powers including that of astral travel. Occasionally he visited Pazhani, Chennai and other religious places as part of pilgrimages for participating scholarly discussions going on there. He also started writing and composed 'Brahmothara Khandam' and 'Pazani Vaibhavam'. At the age of 27, as suggested by his gurus he visited Kodungalloor Devi Temple in Kerala. It is said that his devotion was so deep and his prayers were so strong that when he recited the keerthans the temples bells rang by themselves and the doors opened to give him darsan.
Once in a dream Goddess told him that she will appear before him at Trivandrum and he went there during the period of Swathi Tirunal Maharaja. The king came to know of his scholarship and expertise in Sivaraja Yoga and invited him to the palace and also learned many things from him. One day while a family gathering related to a marriage was going on at the house where he stayed a very old lean women told him that someone will be coming to meet him from his village and asked him to go to the traveller's shed near by on that night. The Goddess gave darsan to him at that travellers' shed that night. Later Thycaud Devi Temple was constructed at this site. Before long he went back to Tamil Nadu.
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